


Paradise Lost

by BlackAngel001



Category: RWBY
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Mentioned Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:42:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackAngel001/pseuds/BlackAngel001
Summary: They were gone. It was all gone. He'd lost someone else, again.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & James Ironwood
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	Paradise Lost

Qrow didn’t look at anyone during the transport back. He didn’t say anything unless he was spoken to directly, and then he only kept it to one word. Not that anyone really said anything. That was fine. He didn’t want to engage with anyone. He wanted a drink. He wanted to get blindingly, rousingly drunk. The urge itched at his skin and made his hair stand on in. Qrow breathed deeply. He wasn’t that man anymore. He didn’t need it.

But Gods he wanted it.

The arrival back was met with no fanfare. They led him to James’ office as quietly as they did the initial transport.

When Qrow got his first look, he thought the General had aged by twenty years. He was more haggard, with deep bruises under his eyes and his arm in a sling. His other hand was propping his head up, covering his eyes. James looked up as they came in. Looked Qrow up and down. The blood on his clothes. The cuffs around his wrists. The not quite defeated expression, but still a lost look. Qrow stared back at him. Ironwood had never held any power of intimidation over him, never gave him that student in the headmaster’s office feeling. Not like…well. It had been a while since that feeling, anyway.

“Take off the cuffs,” Ironwood ordered. “Then leave us.”

“But, sir,” one soldier tried to say.

“Now.” It was said with quiet authority.

Qrow found his hands free and the two of them alone. _Now what?_

“Clover’s dead,” Qrow muttered. He shuffled his feet and fought to not cross his arms.

“I know,” was the tired response. James stood up and came around his desk. “We’ve lost too many good  
people to this.”

“Yeah.”

“We can’t stop though,” James continued as if Qrow hadn’t spoken. “Clover died for his cause. Just like _him_.”

_What?_

“What? Who?”

“I did always admire that about him. How he was willing to put himself in the front line if he needed to, that he was willing to go that far. I didn’t really expect his new incarnation to do the same.”

Qrow went cold all over as a sweat broke out on his skin. James, he couldn’t be talking about…it wasn’t possible.

“Where…where is Oscar? What happened to him?”

Ironwood looked at Qrow. For some reason, that drunk, hapless man had been on the right hand of arguably the world’s most powerful man. It used to make him angry, and yes jealous; he was adult enough to admit that now. Now it made him sad.

“Where is he Ironwood?!”

The General raised his good arm, looked at that hand. He clenched the fingers and looked Qrow in the eye.

“I watched him die.”

_No._

There was no way. James would never have. Even if not for Oscar, _for Ozpin-_

_Twice. Twice now he’s died and I wasn’t there. Twice now I failed to be there for him, to protect him. I let him down again. I was going to do something to make up for how I treated him then, I was going to try to start over and make things better. Now, now I can’t because he’s dead. Again. How many times am I going to let someone I care about down? How many more people am I going to lose??_

He’d lost Summer, and had to live with surviving when she hadn't.

He’d lost Clover, and he had to live with having a hand in that.

He’d lost Ozpin, and he had to live with being too late to save him.

He’d lost Oscar, and he had to live with not being able to make amends.

Qrow clenched his fists, feeling the slick blood slide against his fingers. He was shaking. Qrow looked at the gun strapped to Ironwood’s side. With that, that was what did it, wasn’t it? Ironwood pointed that at Oscar and point blank shot him. He didn’t need the General to confirm it, he knew the man well enough to know that. Ironwood didn’t miss that close. Did he hesitate? Did he think about what he was doing, what it would mean? He had to have.

And he did it anyway.

_I failed. I failed. I failed I failed I failedIfailedIfailedIfailedIfailed…._

_Gone. Again._

Qrow screamed and felt his aura flare out. In a quick burst of speed, he was across the room and had Ironwood’s collar gripped tightly in his fist. He kicked out the General’s legs and then was on top of him. His other arm was moving in a flurry, bashing knuckles across the other man’s face in a series of quick punches. Blood flew and landed on the floor, across Qrow’s face and clothes. He didn’t notice. His vision was a red haze of fury, grief, and denial. Distantly, he became aware he was still screaming but the words didn’t register for a solid minute.

“ _I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you! Rotten, two timing bastard, you’re dead!_ ”

For his part, James put up a token resistance. He tried to block what damage he could, but with one arm strapped down, the other couldn’t do much. Mostly, he laid there and whispered out his own words of apologies.

When his fist landed weakly on Ironwood’s chin, barely brushing, Qrow stopped. His breath was heaving, eyes still wild with that rage and grief. He grabbed James’ collar with both hands and shook him.

“You sonofabitch, your sorry sonofabitch! He trusted you! He believed in you! Even after everything, he was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt! You couldn’t give him the same loyalty he showed you?!”

Qrow wasn’t sure who exactly he was talking about: Clover, Oscar, Oz, or himself.

“Was it worth it? Did you get what you wanted? Stupid, stupid…bastard,” Qrow spit out the last word, but the heat wasn’t there anymore.

Slowly Qrow pushed himself up and walked away. His shoulders were still heaving with emotion and lack of breath.

“We’re done, General. If you need me, don’t bother calling. You shot our friendship down like you shot him down.”

Qrow left James there. James didn’t move for a long while.

In a dark hallway, away from anyone who might see, Qrow sat curled around himself. His tears were silent, his mind was racing, and he was itching for that drink.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a  post by bravenurse hope everyone enjoys!


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